The Backyard Zoo: Mobile, Alabama

Roadside attractions and road-trips in America. The concept alone fills one’s imagination with nostalgic images of family road trips in station wagons, Route 66, and a whole assortment of 50s era postcards. I even get this image, and I really can’t be that nostalgic for an era that I was never alive in. But the icons and myths of America’s favorite pass-time is still alive and strong today, even if we mostly just drive on the interstate. John loves the idea of a road-trip, for him a dream trip would involve a classic car, a tear-drop camper and driving across the States stopping at all the classic spots. I love the image of such a trip, especially if we actually had a classic car or a cool camper, but the truth is I hate sitting in the car for more than an hour or two at a time. I don’t know if I’ve just become jaded from seeing so many places but for me the scene out of the car looks the same 99% of the time. Luckily I don’t get car sick so I always try to bring some “toys” with me to keep me occupied. If it’s a long trip my side of the car would feature books, sketch pads, camera, phone, and anything else that might distract me for a period of time.

However, since we are back in the USA for a period of time, I have decided to learn to love the road-trip. Specially since driving is still one of the easiest ways to maneuver around this giant country. In order to have a road-trip you really need a destination. But to have an even better road-trip you need some awesomely corny road-side attractions. These are harder to come by, so a little planning and research will go a long way to making your next road-trip a postcard worthy one. Check this website out for weird and bizarre things to see in your area: Roadside America. This is the site where I learned that in Gibsland LA, there is a museum and marker for where Bonnie and Clyde got ambushed and that in Fort Worth there is a tree full of Bicycles. Random? Yes, but the fun of looking for these odd-ball attractions can keep your road-trip entertaining and comment worthy!

A couple of weeks ago John and I were driving to see some friends who live in Hattiesburg, MS, my old college town. On the way there we had decided to stop just outside of Mobile, AL where years ago we had found the perfect road-side attraction: a backyard zoo! I’ve actually grown up hearing about homemade zoos, as my father’s family ran a road-side zoo from their home in Florida back in the ‘50s and early ‘60s. On our road-trips in Japan, my sister and I would always ask for the “animal farm” stories. That could be one of the reasons I have also always wanted either a monkey or a tiger cub for a pet.

The Mobile Zoo!

This zoo in Mobile, aptly named the Mobile Zoo is down a country road off of Highway 98. The main entry building is a cute barn where you pay $7 to get in and a few extra dollars buys you a big brown bag full of peanuts to feed the animals with. And TRUST me on this when I say DON’T eat the peanuts…

The zoo is much like any other farm in the area, just that instead of just having cows there are also deer, llamas, buffalo, miniature Sicilian donkeys, monkeys, bears, tigers, and lions. The surprising thing about this zoo is the amount and variety of animals it actually has!

Some Animals From Around The Area Are To Be Found As Well, Maybe He Jumped In For The Peanuts

So Graceful

These Sicilian Miniature Donkeys Were As Small As My Dog! (OK The Dog IS Rather Large…)

It’s Pre-Historic!

…And Quite Friendly

John Getting A Little Too Friendly With The Deer

I Just Loved This Guy’s Face, Too Cute To Be A Bull!

Pacing

A Curious Monkey

Snack Time!

There’s No Sign Saying NOT TO Go…

An Abandoned Fake Old West Movie Set???

Where’s Our Dueling Pistols When We Need Them?

Years ago when we first found this place there was also a Renaissance Town set up in one of the fields, though we hiked through several overgrown fields we couldn’t find it anywhere…

I would recommend anyone passing through the area to take the time to stop by Mobile Zoo, there’s just not that many backyard zoos like this anymore. But beware of the uber pissed-off Llama that had his mind set on messing with John. Here’s a video of John trying to give the llama some peanuts, only to be sneezed at, spitted upon and ultimately have the peanut thrown back at his face….Enjoy!

Any funky road-side stops you’d recommend?